Tanabata
by StarPlatinum
Summary: After Asuma's death, it seems like his widow couldn't bear with the loss. Concerned with her physical condition, Tsunade sent the heartbroken Kurenai to help Iruka with the students at the academy. AsuKure fic with mild KakaIru. Pls R&R.


A/N : Dedicated to Asuma and Kurenai. They'll always be my fav pairing in Naruto series. ^^  
The theme of Tanabata has been on my mind since last year. I first planned to use this plot in my doujinshi project but cancelled it in the end. It's such a waste to leave it in my drawer so I rewrote it in fiction format. Hope you enjoy. ^^

Disclaimer : All characters are rightfully belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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**TANABATA**

It was raining hard on the day Konoha lost one of its best jounins and a father of an unborn child. It was raining hard on his funeral. Cold piercing rain drowned every heart of those cared and loved him.

"This is no good, Tsunade-sama." Shizune chimed as she handed the medical records to Konoha's leader. The Godaime took in and ran her skillful eyes over the file. A heavy sigh left her rouged lips.

"Kurenai's physical condition is weak. She has been not eating and resting properly."

"She must haven't yet got over from the grief. It's hard." The young med nin's eyes drooped. She couldn't help feeling sorry for the female jounin's loss.

"I know. But sinking in grief won't do any good. Neither to herself nor to the baby." Tsunade sunk in her armchair her eyes looking out of the window to the grey sky outside. Her memory drifted back to the long forgotten past. She too had lost the love of her life in the battlefield. She too had tasted the bitterness of witnessing Death taking claim over her lover. She so wish she was the last person ever suffered such loss. But life is not that easy, especially when they're born ninja. Her green eyes drifted back to the attended nin.

"Shizune, forward my order to Yuuhi Kurenai. I want her to be stationed in the academy starting from tomorrow onwards!"

Iruka was feeling awkward upon his first hearing the command. As soon as the messenger nin carried the news to the academy, he was assigned to support the female jounin during her stay here. Kurenai appeared in all black. She was quiet. Well, actually she has always been quite. Most of the time it was Asuma that was the chatty type. He admitted he was surprised when he learned of their dating several months ago. Now without Asuma, she was even more secluded. The chuunin felt sorry when he saw the forlorn look in her ruby eyes. Her loss was too great.

"Minna. Kurenai sensei will help me with the class from today on. Everybody please behave towards her, alright?"

After his brief introduction of her to the class, he let her positioned at the back of the classroom. She just sat there passively observing the commotion in the class. The chuunin knew well Godaime-sama just wanted her to be under somebody's eyes. Due to her pregnancy, she was taking leave from the jounin squad. She has been alone most of the time that Godaima-sama worried about both her physical and mental condition. She has been thinner from the last time he saw her at Asuma's funeral.

Days passed by and everything remained the same. The ruby-eyed jounin sat quietly at the back of the classroom while Iruka getting his nerve tested by those brats. Until one rainy day in July.

"Minna. Today we'll prepare the Tanabata Matsuri. Do you know what Tanabata means?" He joviously asked his students.

"I know. I know. I know." Little hands lifted filling with little voices competing to answer their sensei's question.

"Okay, tell me what it is."

"Tanabata is the day we decorate bamboo with colorful paper." One boy answered.

"We write down wishes on paper and hang them on the bamboo branches." Another answer.

"Okay, okay. Everyone knows what Tanabata is. But I'll go on with the tale behind this festival. Do you wanna hear?"

"Yessssssss."

Then Iruka went on with his tale.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful weaver princess named Orihime. She was in love with the cow herder prince named Hikoboshi. But they were playing all the time and forgot about their jobs. The king was angry at them and separated them on opposite sides of the Milky Way. They are allowed to meet only once a year on July 7th. The day we celebrate their reunion with Tanabata Matsuri."

"So we make a wish for them to see each other again?" A girl asked him.

"Sorta. Some said that Orihime and Hikoboshi can't meet each other if July 7th is rainy, so they pray for good weather and also make wishes for themselves." He beamed at the girl.

"Now. Minna. I want you to help me with the tanzaku paper. Here in this box is lots of colorful paper. Girls, grab as much as you like and cut them in even stripes. Boys, help me with the bamboo, okay?"

A pair of ruby orbs observed the activity silently until she sensed a presence near her.

"Kurenai sensei, we've spared some tanzaku paper for you." A group of children handed her a piece of bright red paper that matched her eyes color. They were timid to nudge their new sensei. The kids elbowed each other until the bravest one spoke out with flushed cheeks.

"We think you're beautiful like Orihime. We see you always look sad. Please make a wish and be happy."

That was the most innocent thing she had ever heard after the raining day he's gone. She smiled a little at them.

"Thank you."

That evening the bamboo was ready. Children attached their tanzaku paper filled with wishes on every branch of the bamboo. Laughters filled the air. But one red paper was missing.

At late night Kurenai sat by her apartment window. The glass window opened wide taking in the night breeze as she stared blankly at the full moon. Outside the window, one red paper attached to the leaves of her pottery. One sole wish written on it.

"C'mon, I beg you. Please come with me." Iruka insisted on the silver-haired jounin.

"I don't think this gonna work out fine." The masked jounin sighed hard. Iruka has asked him to exercise some trick with his sharingan against the poor widow. The chuunin just wished to see her happy. She deserved to be happy eventhough it could happen only in a dream.

The two turned the corner before Kurenai's apartment when Kakashi suddenly stopped his partner. Sole red orb fixed on the moon for a while then he smiled.  
"I think we don't have to do this. It's Tanabata, isn't it? The magic of the moon always find its way." With that he held the chuunin's shoulder and guided his lover back to his apartment, simply ignoring Iruka's protest.

The tiny glass windbell chimed as the wind blew away dark clouds revealing the bright fullmoon on the velvety night sky. The female jounin snapped when she smelled the familiar tobacco scent. There on the moonlit veranda a tall figure was leaning against the windowsill. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Hello my dear Orihime." His deep barritone voice greeted her.

"What took you so long, Hikoboshi?" She smiled as crystal tears dwelled up her ruby eyes.

The two hugged each other. She breathed in the long-craved scent that signatured him. His muscle arms enveloped her. He kissed away those tears on her pale cheeks. She could feel the tickleness when his beard rubbed against her smooth skin.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I love you."

.......................................................................

She woke up at the first light of dawn hit the horizon. She was alone in the room, a thick blanket draped over her petit form. Her heart sank when she realized it was just a dream. But when she lifted her hand to her face, a shiny metal caught her eyes. There on her finger was a gold ring shining bright. She smiled as tears ran down her face.

"You actually came to me. Thank you Asuma."

- END -


End file.
